Hay-tedder



(No Model.)

J. H. THUMAS.

HAY TBDDBR.

Patented Nov. 10, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. THOMAS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.`

HAY-TEDDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,977, dated November 10, 1885.

(No model.)

-To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. THOMAS, of Springfield, county of Clark, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hay-Tedders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,l reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in hay-tedders, or7 more specifically, to the construction of the vibrating fork-arms and forks thereof, whereby said forks are adapted to yield in a vertical direction relatively to their supporting fork-arms.

My invention consists in the combination, with the tedder-fork arm, of a fork-stexn or sliding bar or rod working in suitable guide- Waysformed upon or secured to the fork-arm, and having the tedder-fork attached thereto at its lower end, said sliding fork-stem being provided with a suitable spring for adapting it to yield, and means for limiting its motion.

My invention consists,also,in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully and clearly set forth, and pointed out with reference to the accompanying draw- Y ings, in which-` Figure l represent-s a side elevation of one of my improved tedder-forks complete; Fig. 2, asimilar view showing a modification in Athe arrangement of the spring actuating the fork-stem. Fig. 3 isa detail view in perspective of the upset end of one ofthe swinging links or radial rods, illustrating my manner of obtaining a greatly-increased width of wearing-surface for same at the point where it is attached .to or connected with the fork-arm. Fig. 4 shows a metal casting which may be employed in lieu of the upset end of theswinging link; and Fig. 5 a View, partly in section, showing the manner of regulating and adjusting the tension of the spring surrounding the fork-stem or an arm thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents one of the fork-arms of a hay-tedder, made of wood or any suitable material for the purpose for which it is intended, so as to secure the requisite amount of strength and durability. It is mounted upon one of the tedder-cranks in the customary manner-that is, by means of a crank-wrist bearing, A', secured to the fork-arm A at or near the center of it length,

and preferably upon the forward face thereof relatively to the movement of the machine. Said bearing is by preference adjustable to allow for its being taken up in case of wear of the parts. Motion is imparted to the forkarms by means of the tedder-cranks, whose wrists have their bearing and rotate in these bearings A. Upon one face of the fork-arm A, )referably the rear face thereof, two lugs or guideways, a a, are formed or otherwise secured. These lugs are located at a suitable distance apart, and are of such dimensions that they will permit the passage through them of a fork-stem, B, the lugs c and c serving as guidcways for the same and steadying its vertical movements. Said fork-stem is by preference square in form or polygonal, and the lug ce is provided with a corresponding perforation, the object being to prevent the forkstem from rotating or turning in the guides, though this end may be accomplishedin other ways, such as providing the stem witha feather or iiange working in a corresponding slot or groove in the perforated lug a. The forkstern may be made ofthe same form its entire length, and the upper lug, c, made to correspond therewith in the shape of its perforation; but l prefer to make the stem B above the lug a round or cylindrical in form, as shown at B', for a purpose that will be set forth. Intermediately of the lugs a and c is placed a spiral spring, b, surrounding theforkstem B' and serving by its tension to hold the stem B down to its work.

C represents a threaded sleeve or tube provided on its outer face with a screw-thread corresponding with athread in the perforated lug a, into and through which the sleeve or tube passes by turning the same. The perforation of said sleeve or tube is of a size adapted to receive the turned portion B of stem B. The office of said threaded tube or sleeve is to provide for the adjustment of the tension of the spiral spring b. By screwing the sleeve C into the lug a the lower end of said sleeve adjacent to the spring against which it is forced will compress said spring b and increase the tension of the same for regulating the downward pressure of the fork-stem and the tedder-fork. lf this adjustment is not sufcient. the turned portion B of stem B may be provided with a thread at b', and a nut, C',

IOO

working thereon, be employed, by the rotation of which the spring may be further compressed.

In order to limit the movement of the forkstem, a pin, c, or other suitable device, may be employed, thus preventing the escape of the said fork-stem from the guides a and a.

In lieu of the arrangement just described, and as a modification of the same, the turned portion of the fork-stem may be provided with a projection or lug, D, and a secondary or supplemental rod, D', be employed, as shown in Fig. 2, extending upwardly from lug D. In this case the upper lug, a, is made larger to receive both the turned portion B of the fork-stem and the threaded sleeve C, before described, for adjusting the tension of spring b, which surrounds the supplemental rod D in the same manner as before described.

E represents a metal bracket secured tothe lower extremity o f the fork-stem B and provided with projections e e, through which they tedder-fork F passes, and by means of which said fork is pivoted. Above the pivotal point e the fork F is of loop forrn or inverted-U shape, and passing over said loop portion, upon the outside thereof, is a flat spring, F, bolted or otherwise secured to the fork-stem, serving to maintain the fork F in the position shown in the drawings, at the same time allowing'the fork to yield in a forward directionv relatively to the movement of the machine,

` or backward relatively to the working movement of the fork-arm and fork. 'Io the forkarm, at or near its upper extremity, is bolted or otherwise secured a metal bracket, G, (shown in Figs. l and 2,) provided with two parallel anges orvwings, g g, located at such a distance apart as to permit the introduction between them of a very broad eye, H, formed upon the swinging end of the links H', connecting the upper ends of the fork-arms with one of the frame-bars of the machine. In order to secure this extra broad eye, I prefer to upset the end of the link, as shown in detail in Fig. S-that is, to iiattenthe end of the rod or link H and crowd the metal back upon itself, then to turn the flattened and thickened end over upon itself, thus forming an eye or bearing of greatly increased width and thickness. This eye H, when finished, is of just sufficient size or` width to fit snugly between the iiangesg g of bracket G, so that there will be no'looseness and unnecessary wearing of the parts. Apin, I, passes through the eye H, and by preference is fixed or secured within the perforated lugs or ears g g, so that .it cannot rotate there4 in, and the eye H will be obliged to revolve or turn upon it, vthis construction effecting the least wear of parts, though, if preferred, the pin I may be fixed within the eye H and adapted to turn within the perforations in the iianges g g of bracket G.

The exact form v of iianged metal bracket illustrated in the drawings need not necessarily be employed, and I do not wish to be restricted to the same only. A f

In lieu of upsetting the end of the connecting rod or link H, a metal casting or tip, J,

may be employed, provided with a socket, j, for the reception of the end of the swinging link H', by means of which thecasting or tip may be secured upon the end of the link.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new- 1. The fork-stem working in guides on the swinging fork-arm and the spring for adapting lsaid stem to yield, in combination with means,

substantially as described, for adjusting the tension of said spring.

2. rlhe combination, with the fork-arm, of the fork-stem held loosely in and sliding through two or more perforated guides on said -arm, a spiral spring, means, substantially as mental armor rod surrounded by the spiral spring, and the independently-actingtedderforks, substantially as specified. f

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand this 19th day of September, A. D. 1884.

'JOHN H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

A. P. LINN COCHRAN, RoB'r. C. RoDGERs. 

